Tasks: Living in a multicultural world

Reflect and take notes:

Reflect upon ways that foreign cultures are a part of your everyday life. Make a list of things you do which come from foreign cultures. How do you do them? Where have you learned to do these things (friends, films, advertisements, parents, social media, etc.)? From which countries do these things originate? Make a table with four columns: Activity. Example. Inspiration. Country of origin. Compare notes with your partner.

Find examples of activities from the following situations:

• What you eat
• Music you listen to
• What you drink
• What you watch
• What you read
• Your spare time activities
• What you wear
• How you greet your friends

Debate:

Many people today prefer cappuccino to black coffee, sushi to boiled cod, yoga to skiing. Do you think there is a danger of Norwegian culture and traditions disappearing? Should anything be done to save and preserve these old traditions?

Arrange a debate in which half the class prepares arguments that support the defense of traditional and local culture and the other half prepares arguments that welcome and enhance new and multicultural impulses.

Write:

Did you know that of the 6500 languages that are spoken around the world, more than half are at risk of dying out by the end of the 21st century? Norwegian is unlikely to vanish anytime soon, yet it faces gradual erosion. English has steadily influenced everyday speech, with many words and phrases now feeling Norwegian. In multicultural environments, young people play a key role in this shift.

Write an argumentative text titled “Is the Norwegian Language Under Threat?”. Discuss both the positive and negative effects of this development, provide relevant examples, and include your personal opinion.